1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for connecting springs associated with a harness of a weaving loom of the Jacquard type on a frame of such a loom, to a connection assembly comprising such a device, and to a weaving loom of the Jacquard type incorporating such an assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Each hook of a Jacquard system is known to be associated with one or more cords, the cords together constituting the harness of the system. Each cord is connected to the upper end of a heddle provided with a mail for controlling the position of a warp yarn of the loom in a substantially vertical direction. The lower end of each heddle is connected to an anchoring point, fixed with respect to the frame of the loom, by a spring exerting an elastic return force on the heddle.
EP-A-0 678 603, for example, discloses providing a device for connecting the lower end of a helical spring and the frame of a loom by means of a threaded joining piece intended to be screwed in the coils or turns of the spring and comprising two elastic branches adapted to cooperate with the coils or turns of the spring to generate friction to avoid resonance of the latter. This document provides an individual fixation of the connection device on the frame by means of a joining piece in the form of a harpoon, which involves long and fastidious manipulations and accordingly renders the equipping of a weaving loom of Jacquard type with devices of this type more expensive. In case of dismantling, each joining piece must be dismantled individually and it is not rare for joining pieces to deteriorate.
It is known, for example by DE-U-86 09665, to group together connection devices on a base extending in a rod provided with a head in the form of a harpoon for hooking thereof on a harness board. Such devices are difficult to unhook and their density of implantation, in particular on an elongated section, cannot be high.
It could be envisaged to group together the connection devices, for example in series of four on a base presenting a central orifice in which is introduced a bar supported above the frame. Although presenting advantages over the known art of EP-A-0 678 603, this system and the known one of DEU-86 09665 involve removing a large number of devices from the bar in order to have access to a device having to be changed during a maintenance operation, which proves to be long, fastidious and expensive due to the need for highly qualified manpower. Similarly, it is a complex operation to assemble a weaving loom incorporating this device. In addition, flock tends to accumulate between the devices of this type and it is delicate to clean them.
It is a particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a spring connection device which comprises a plurality of rods each equipped with means for connection with a spring and extending from a common base.